After trading for Kevin Durant in the summer of 2025, the Houston Rockets announced that they were ready to try and contend for an NBA championship right now. So, they are judged by their chances of doing that.

As of right now, they are a pretty darn good team. After ending the Golden State Warriors' eight-game winning streak, the Rockets sit at 9-3, third in the West, and boast the fourth-best net rating in the league. Durant's questionable handle and Steven Adams' inability to stay on the floor still make their halfcourt offense a looming concern, but the Rockets definitely have a chance of making a run if things break their way.

That isn't the point of this excerise, though. Most times, when your in the Rockets' position, all your chips are in the middle of the table. However, the Rockets are the rare great team that is also built toward the future. Five of their top eight players in total minutes played are in their age-25 season or younger.

Plus, thanks to a trade the Rockets made with the Brooklyn Nets a few years back, the Rockets own the 3-8 Brooklyn Nets' 2027 first round pick. They also have the Phoenix Suns' unprotected pick. Which, if they use those picks way one draft analyst prescribes, could turn them into one of the most formidable defenses for the next half decade or so.

Draft analyst predicts the Rockets will take Bruce Branch and Abdou Toure

SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell recently put out a new 2027 NBA Mock Draft. Since we haven't had the NBA Draft Lottery yet and everything is different with the new anti-tanking rules the league put into place this offseason, it is hard to know for certain where a pick will fall. For now, O'Donnell has the Nets' pick to be slated at the fourth spot. and the Suns landing at No. 9.

In this edition, O'Donnell predicted that the Rockets would use the Nets pick to take BYU's Bruce Branch. Listen to the way he describes Branch as a player:

"A 6’7 wing with a ridiculous 7’3 wingspan, Branch slides his feet well on the perimeter, disrupts plays with his hands, and blocks a ton of shots for a nominal perimeter defender."

Does that ring a bell? It should. While not the exact same player, this is kind of how you could describe guys like Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason. With that trio, the Rockets are already ranked eighth in defensive rating. Now, just imagine how much of a boost this unit would have with a player like Branch. The Rockets would be guaranteed to have at least two of those guys on the floor at all times. And sometimes, they could even get wild and have all four of them out there at once.

At No. 9, the O'Donnell had the Rockets taking Abdou Toure of Arkansas with the Suns picks. Here's the analysis on Toure:

"The powerfully-built 6’5 freshman wing plays like he’s shot out of a cannon on both ends, leveraging his elite quick-twitch explosion to disrupt plays defensively and attack the rim with malice. He has the physical tools to be a clear plus defender, and he can recover to the ball even if he’s out of position earlier in the play."

FanSided's Chris Kline highlighted the same strengths and weaknesses for both Toure and Branch in his latest Big Board — although he had them ranked slightly lower, No. 16 and No. 11, respectively. But either way, we're talking about adding two elite athletes with supremely high defensive ceilings to a Rockets team that is aleady a defensive menace and supremely athletic.

Now, O'Donnell did mention that Branch's offensive game needs some development, which also sounds eerily similar to those other three gentleman. Halfcourt offense will continue being a problem if Branch ends up being their pick, but the defense could become so elite that the Rockets will be able to get by through turnovers, transition, and offensive rebounding.

It's still a long way from now to the 2027 NBA Draft. A lot can change between now and then. But one thing is forsure: the Rockets are well-positioned to be really good now and in the future.